Friday, 3 June 2016

Athens Chronicles | The City of Hadrian

Coming from Plaka, we cross the Avenue Vasilissis Amalias, and find ourselves in front of the Arch of Hadrian. The Athenians built this arch in honor of the Emperor Hadrian (117-123 AD) that crossed it at the inauguration of the Temple of Olympian Zeus. This arch marks the separation between the ancient city of Athens and the new district of the city created by Hadrian.

Beyond the arch, we find the park where you can visit the Temple of Olympian Zeus, whose construction was completed by order of the Roman Emperor Hadrian, a great admirer of Hellenistic culture. Monumental and impressive, the temple dedicated to Zeus had 104 columns in Corinthian style with 17 meters of height and 2 meters in diameter. Of the 104 original columns, only 15 remain standing today, lying the 16th to the ground. It is still, however, an impressive site and a must-visit in the city of Athens.